John Wooden, the great UCLA basketball coach, is known for two things: winning seven consecutive NCAA championships between 1967 and 1973, and being one of the greatest inspirational leaders basketball has ever produced. The first lesson he taught his players…
When we form views and beliefs we are usually influenced by facts and opinions. All too often, our views are also shaped by emotive immediacy and we make choices with little regard for the potential consequences. A recent vacation to…
The morning my eldest daughter started school, I did two things. I greeted her teacher with warmth and respect. Then I burst into tears. The scene was familiar. I’d been in many like it, since I was in my 20s.…
My Christmas tree is like no other in the world – it’s authentic. I’ve collected ornaments from places like Santa’s Workshop on the Arctic Circle, Times Square New York, Kathmandu and hundreds of other places I’ve had the good fortune…
The joy of festive gatherings is meeting interesting people. I recently met a first responder – a fireman. We spent time comparing workplace experiences and were intrigued by a particular professional element we had in common – the bell. …the…
What would you do if you heard schools were taking children from their parents? It sounds like an outrageous question, doesn’t it? Nevertheless, it’s one I would like you to take seriously. Every day decisions are made in schools and…
‘America is like a healthy body and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual life. If we can undermine these three areas, America will collapse from within’ – Joseph Stalin So what does a Russian leader’s observation…
An authentic school is more than a space for learning and teaching. It is a guardian of relationships. The most important is the one between parent and child – a relationship you must acknowledge and protect. Whenever a new idea or…
All parents have this experience in common. It’s what I call ‘the sandpit moment’. You’ll recognise it. Your child is playing alongside another. Someone throws sand, and both children begin to cry. Your immediate reaction is to protect your child.…
The concept of quality is a fascinating one. Although many inequalities have been rectified over time – and rightly so – the truth is, absolute equality will never be possible. It might even be true to say that the more strenuously people seek equality, the more divided society becomes. Earlier this year Australian Senator Larissa Waters stepped on to the world stage by breastfeeding while in Parliament. Women’s rights…